The anonymous caller has an ominous tone and an unnerving message about something "real dead . . . buried in your marsh." The eco-volunteer on the other end of the phone thinks it's a prank, but when a young woman's body turns up in L.A.'s Bird Marsh preserve no one's laughing. And when the bones of more victims surface, homicide detective Milo Sturgis realizes the city's under siege to an insidious killer. Milo's first move: calling in psychologist Alex Delaware.

Your Likes make Audible better!

Publisher's Summary

The anonymous caller has an ominous tone and an unnerving message about something "real dead...buried in your marsh." The eco-volunteer on the other end of the phone thinks it's a prank, but when a young woman's body turns up in L.A.'s Bird Marsh preserve, no one's laughing. And when the bones of more victims surface, homicide detective Milo Sturgis realizes the city's under siege to an insidious killer. Milo's first move: calling in psychologist Alex Delaware.

The murdered women are prostitutes - except the most recent victim; a brilliant young musician from the East Coast, employed by a wealthy family to tutor a musical prodigy, Selena Bass seems out of place in the marsh's grim tableau.

Conveniently - perhaps ominously - Selena's blueblood employers are nowhere to be found, and their estate's jittery caretaker raises hackles. But Milo's instincts and Alex's insight are too well-honed to settle for easy answers, even given the dark secrets in this troubled man's past. Their investigation unearths disturbing layers - about victims, potential victims, and suspects alike - plunging even deeper into the murky marsh's enigmatic depths.

Bizarre details of the crimes suggest a devilish serial killer prowling L.A.'s gritty streets. But when a new murder deviates from the pattern, derailing a possible profile, Alex and Milo must look beyond the suspicion of madness and consider an even more sinister mind at work. Answers don't come easy, but the darkest of drives and desires may fuel the most devious of foes.

Bones is classic Kellerman - relentlessly peeling back the skin and psyches of its characters and revealing the shadows and sins of the souls beneath. With jolt after jolt of galvanizing suspense, it drives the reader through its twists and turns toward a climax as satisfying as it is shattering.

What the Critics Say

"The comfortable banter that has helped make Delaware and Sturgis such durable crime-story heroes is as rapid-fire, keen, and wryly funny as ever, and the mystery they aim to solve is certainly not routine." (Booklist)

Mr Kellerman proves the point very well that "People with a limited imagination often find themselves resorting to vulgarity". I can't tell you whether the plot ever got anywhere because the first 20 minutes was a combination of confused plot jumps and language that would make a sailor blush. Having grown up in New York and spending three years in the Army, I am no prude. I have heard and used my fair share of salty language. But the way the author used it in this book only served to ruin the content. It was so bad I simply quit listening altogether. Too bad because I have heard he does decent stuff but I won't waste my time on him again.

Jonathon Kellerman is one of my favorite authors and I was interested in this book because of the location--the marsh, protected land, etc. It was just okay--I still love, Milo, Alex, Robin and Blanche, but this story needed more....something....it was lacking somehow and very predictable. Maybe I have read too many of his books (all of them, in fact), so I can predict the endings. It was an okay read...just not great. I look forward to the next one in the anticipation that it will deliver the usual Kellerman twists and turns.

I love it when they take something sweet and charming and reveal it as macabre. In this case, it's a lovely little wetlands-restoration. As the book progresses, the premise gets less and less believable, but it remains fun due to the author's always-wonderful ensemble. Milo, in particular, really shines in this one, and displays his ongoing evolution.

Would you try another book from Jonathan Kellerman and/or John Rubinstein?

I would try other books by this author. I do not know about the performance. Why does he think that this narration has to be as a tough guy. I could not get past the sarcasm in his voice and the hard ass impression. Tried to listen to this book twice and just could not get past a few chapters.

Has Bones turned you off from other books in this genre?

No

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of John Rubinstein?

Not sure. The tone and impression is so very important. I do not know if he was trying to be a tough guy, gum shoe or what. Just a big turn off.

What character would you cut from Bones?

I did not finish the book. I will need to read the book for a third try.

Where does Bones rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

4.5 - 5.0 - Very good story, good narrator

What did you like best about this story?

Kept you guessing - did not make irrational leaps

What does John Rubinstein bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Sounds funny but I like it when the reader at least tries to give individual voices to the characters. Rubenstein does a great job with this. He also seems to be very fluent with the books. No mispronunciations, no stumbling or hesitating really knows the work. He reads it as though he has read it several times already and really knows the book.

Any additional comments?

I have been a fan of these books in written form for years, moving on to audio books I am still a big fan.

The story ended up becoming predictable. At first I was intrigued, I mean come on, it’s an Alex Delaware/Milo Sturgis, Jonathan Kellerman novel. I realized that the killers were amongst the only two people the police and author centered around. I found there wasn’t much definition and found myself uninterested at times. There is a hint of symbolism with the killing, but it was so shallow. It felt like no real thought was put into it, I was still waiting for the killings to mean something. I was still waiting for the way that the corpses were staged to really mean something.

Your report has been received. It will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.

Can't wait to hear more from this listener?

You can now follow your favorite reviewers on Audible.

When you follow another listener, we'll highlight the books they review, and even email* you a copy of any new reviews they write. You can un-follow a listener at any time to stop receiving their updates.

* If you already opted out of emails from Audible you will still get review emails by the listeners you follow.